


Watch What Happens

by thegladers



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn, Stalking, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-02-28 13:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13272852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegladers/pseuds/thegladers
Summary: You are an adolescent therapist that occasionally helps in cases with the FBI, particularly with your friend Aaron Hotchner's team. On the way to pick up Aarons son from school as a favor, you receive a call from an unknown number who claims to have been watching you for months.Getting help is too late, but can the team find you before you're gone for good?





	1. Chapter 1

It started off as a hobby. Volunteering at the children's hospital, rec center, even Sunday school; helping and watching children learn was something you were very good at. Even when you were younger and in school yourself, you would spend some of your free time helping the younger students in the middle school that was connected to your high school get their grades up in English. So, to anyone who knew you, it wasn't a surprise that you ended up going into adolescent therapy. You worked with an independent company but sometimes it led you to work closely with the FBI and the victims they helped save, and though it was rewarding work, it was tough to hear what these kids went through at such a young age. 

Since you worked closely with victims the FBI helped, it wasn’t uncommon for you to be called down on certain cases where talking to a young victim could help catch the UnSub. There have been plenty of times where the leading unit chief would ask for you to be transferred to their team for a 24/7 therapist, but you always declined. You liked your job, helping kids one day at a time, giving them the tools to lead normal lives. That’s actually how you met Aaron Hotchner. He was the unit leader of the BAU and he had requested your help with a case, and you and he had kept in touch since you lived close to each other and you volunteered at his sons school. He had seen you there before and thought you looked familiar.

Honestly, you and Aaron did more than ‘keep in touch,’ you guys were friends. You ate dinner at his place every Friday after work (when he there,) he brought you lunch to your office on Wednesdays, and when Jack’s aunt, Jessica, couldn’t watch him on the days she worked, you would come in and pick him up from school, make him dinner, hang out with him until Jessica or Aaron got home. It was nice; Jack enjoyed your company and you definitely thought he was cool, so it was never an issue. 

Your cell phone rings and you reach your hand into your purse, staring at your computer screen at the new information for one of your new patients, a twelve-year-old-girl who had recently been discovered three years after her kidnapping. The search for her had been called off, and God knows what happened to her in that time. You click the green answer button, and put it up to your ear, your shoulder holding it in place.

“Hi this is (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N), what can I help you with?” The person on the other end doesn’t respond. “Hello?” You hear breathing and then a dial tone. Huh, that was weird. You click your phone off but it begins to ring again with the same unknown number from a few seconds before. “Hi, it’s (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N) again, what can I help you with?” No answer. This time you take it upon yourself to hang up, and when the phone rings for the third time a minute later, it’s safe to say you’re pissed. “What the hell do you want?” You ask angrily, turning away from your desk. 

“Woah… what I do? Everything all right?” The deep voice asks, full of concern. You sit up straight; it was Aaron. 

“I’m sorry! Oh my god, I thought you were- actually, it doesn't matter. I’m sorry, what’s up?” Aaron laughs, and your heart flutters slightly, and you roll your eyes at yourself. Christ, this man could kick you in the head and you’d still think it was graceful. 

“No problem, but I was hoping you could do me a favor? I know you get off after lunch today and Jack’s school called both me and Jessica, he’s sick. I was hoping you could pick him up? I’d pay you, of course. I’m getting off a little early today too, so you shouldn’t be there long.” You begin to mutter to yourself about your schedule. Friday, you get off at 12:45 and then you’re completely free. 

“Sounds good. I get off in like ten minutes, I can get him then.” Aaron thanks you, and reminds you that you can stay for dinner tonight if you’d like, and you smile but decline. “Thanks, Aaron, but I have to get back in time for Nathan after football practice.” You say goodbye and hang up the phone, staring at the picture of you and your little brother at the park. It was taken a year ago, right after he graduated middle school. You were, and are, so proud of him and everything he’s accomplished. You took care of him after your parents died in a car accident. It was hard on him, and you, but you both attended family therapy for a while after it happened and eventually stopped. You worried about him a lot, even though he never gave you any reason to, and he used to tell you that you’d have a heart attack at twenty eight if you kept up with it.

Aaron said the same thing. He would listen to you rant and rave about something that happened with Nathan and then he would just smile at you and tell you that you worry too much. Like he could talk, with all those frown and worry lines. He never talked about what worried him, though. It was like a guessing game with him. Sometimes when you saw him he was smiley and happy to be around you and Jack, and other days he was somber and silent. He was always tired though, and he tried his best to be there for Jack, but behind is dark brown eyes, he was somewhere else. 

You finish typing your report on your last patient and then you shut your computer down, standing up. The walls, which were a pale purple color, were covered in your diplomas and pictures and paintings your patients made for you. In your bottom desk drawer, which remained locked constantly, held personal letters and thank you notes from people that you’ve helped. On a tough day, you would spend an hour reading over these and remind yourself that you are doing some good, even if it seems little to you, it’s huge to someone else. 

You pack up your belongings, placing your phone, wallet, charger, and the file for your patient list into your purse before turning off the light and locking the door behind you. You wave goodbye to Shelly, the secretary, and Raymond, the on duty guard who sat half asleep on the chair at all times. You walk down the street, which was fairly busy for the afternoon, and you walk down to the Metro station. Despite what everyone else thinks, you enjoyed the metro. It was filled with people, all of them with different lives and problems, who just so happened to end up on the same train at the same time. A brief glimpse into their lives. You liked to put in your headphones and play your music at just the right volume to ignore the hustle and bustle of the people getting on and leaving, but not so loud that it was hurting your ears. You never considered buying a car even though it would have made sense to do so. You sat down, pulling out your phone and earbuds and you began to relax. You had three stops until you needed to get off, and this was your second of three Metro rides you were going to take just today. 

You stare off into the window for the next two stops when the hair on your neck begins to stand on end. You sit up slightly, and you slowly turn your music off, wrapping your headphones around your phone and putting it back into your bag and you let your hand rest in there until you grab the small pepper spray canister that had been there for the past month and a half. You pull your hand out and rest it in your lap, hiding it. Even if this was your imagination running wild and not a persona staring at you like you felt, it was better to be safe rather than sorry. 

You jump as the phone rings, and you stand up and head towards the doors as the train stops. “Hello?” You ask, walking fast, the phone in one hand and your purse on the shoulder of the arm that was gripping the pepper spray. You hear nothing for a second, and you go to hang up when you hear something. “Excuse me?” You emerge from the tunnel, walking down the road headed towards Jacks school.

“I said, your dress is really pretty today. Did you know that blue is my favorite color?” The voice was deep and guttural and it makes your blood run cold. Your steps slow, and you glance around you.

“How… how do you know I’m wearing a blue dress?” 

“Because I can see you right now.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first two chapters have been pretty much just filler chapters, I promise if you stick with me it'll get better! I have a lot of ideas, but I am open to suggestions! Thanks for the kudos and comments, I really appreciate them all!

“You can see me?” You ask, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. People grumble as they pass you and you look around wildly. You probably remind them of the drugged up homeless people that would try and strike up conversations about the latest conspiracy, though you weren’t talking to them. The voice doesn’t respond, just a deep laugh and then the dial tone.

Your heart drops; if this person could see you, then they obviously knew you were going to Jacks school. You put the phone down and began to walk quickly to his school as you created a game plan. The pepper spray was still gripped tightly in your hand, and if anyone startled you they would get an eyeful. You were going to get Jack, hail a taxi, and drive all the way to Quantico. That’s the only way that you could guarantee Jacks safety. You weren’t even that worried about yourself; you were a grown adult and you had a chance to survive if someone attacked, but Jack… he was just a kid. 

You enter the school and relax. There’s no way that whoever could see you would follow you in here, hell they were probably just some asshole who decided to prank you. You and Damion, your high school best friend, were currently in a prank war, and this was exactly the stupid thing he would do to get your blood pressure up. You shake your head, trying to expel your anxieties and worries as you enter the office. The administrator smiles at you and you head back to the nurse. You’ve been in this school countless of times, whether it was you volunteering or just picking up Jack, you basically knew it like the back of your hand. You get to the nurses office and knock twice before entering.

“Hi. How is he?” You ask quietly, and you hear Jack shuffle out towards you. His cheeks are tinted red and he looks exhausted. His small book bag hangs off his shoulder as he tries to put his jacket on half asleep. You bend down and take his book bag, placing it on the ground, before helping him put his jacket on.

“He threw up earlier and he had a fever, but it broke. He was napping back there. I recommend lots of fluids and lots of rest. He should be better by Monday.” The nurse was a young brunette, and she seemed genuinely sorry for Jack. She was a lot different than the nurse back when you were in school. You would go in there with a headache, bloody nose, even a broken bone and she would give you an ice pack and tell you to walk it off. It was good that there were still some good people in the world. You and Jack say goodbye before heading off down the hallway. You stop and sign him out by the receptionist and when you try to leave Jack stands there with his arms raised. You smile at him.

“Ah, I see, you want me to carry you, huh?” Jack nods and you can see the slightest smile on his face. You pick him up and he wraps his arm around your neck tightly, his head burrowing into your shoulder. “Fine, I guess you can sleep on me as long as you don’t get me sick, mister.”

As soon as you get outside, you get on high alert. The phone call still gave you the willies, but you don’t think you needed to worry about it. You hail a taxi, which stops quickly, and you get inside. You give the taxi driver the address and you stare out the window through the drive, rocking Jack back and forth slowly. You almost fall asleep but the car screeches forwards and you gasp. You ruffle through your purse and give the cab driver the fare money plus a tip and you carry Jack to the front house. You unlock it and get inside, shutting the door with your foot. Jack stirs and you murmur that it’s okay, but he ignores you, rubbing at his eyes. 

“Can we watch a movie, please?” Jack asks, and you nod. He shuffles off to the living room, but you stop him and grab his book bag and jacket. You walk to his room and place his bag on the hook on the door along with his jacket. The light was off and the only thing illuminating it was the small night light in the corner. The door creaked slightly as it closed and a chill runs up your spine. You sigh; you need to get this dumb call out of your head. You make a mental note to text or call Damion later when you were home to tell him you knew it was him. You walk back into the living room and you rest against the doorframe after hanging your jacket by the front door. 

Jack was sitting curled up in the corner of the couch, remote in hand and bundled up in a large red blanket. He was going through the channels until he found a movie he enjoyed and then he began to play it. He pats the spot next to him as you walk closer to him without looking at you. You giggle and slip your shoes off, tucking them under the coffee table. You sit next to Jack with your legs tucked under you and you rest your head in your hand. Four minutes into the movie, Jack was out like a light. He was snoring and talking in his sleep, and you stare at him, smiling. You grab your phone out of your purse and see a text from Aaron saying that he was on the way home. 

You close your eyes listening to the TV and the next thing you know your being shaken awake. You gasp and jump up, heart pounding, and you look up at Aaron who was laughing. His head was thrown back and he had Jack in his arms. 

“Not funny.” You mutter, standing up and cracking your back. Jack laughs at you and you stick your tongue out at him, causing him to erupt in another fit of giggles. Aaron lets Jack down and you both watch him as he runs off down the hall to his bedroom. Guess he’s feeling better. You fold your arms across your chest and look up at Aaron, whos brows are furrowed. Aaron looks at you and tilts his head, trying to figure out why you’re not holding his gaze for long. God, you think, please do not let him ask me what's wrong because I can’t just come out and say that I have a massive crush on him and if he does I’m probably going to barf and then run. 

“Hey, what’s wrong? You okay?” Damn it. You nod and grab your purse, slipping your shoes back on before turning away from Aaron. He reaches out and grabs a hold of your arm gently, and you swear you can feel electricity. You stop dead in your tracks and turn back towards him. “Seriously, is something up?” You stare at his dark eyes, which were filled with worry, and you sigh, trying to buy yourself some time.

“I’m fine, I promise. I’m just a little tired, that’s all,” You can tell your lies aren’t convincing him in the slightest, so you pull out the big guns, which always made you feel dirty for using. “The last couple patients I’ve had have sticking with me.” He nods, and you can sense that he didn't completely convince him, but he drops it. “So, I wish I could stay for dinner tonight but this is a rare Friday where Nathan is bringing some friends over to have a sleepover, though he told me I’m not allowed to say that when they’re there.” You laugh and Aaron walks you towards the door.

“Alright, but if I’m not called in tomorrow can me and Jack come over? He has been begging to hang out with you all week, and I don’t think this is what he had in mind at all.” You nod your head, agreeing. Jack runs out of the room with his action figures, yelling and making explosion noises. He stops in front of you, and his arms drop to his side sadly. 

“Are you leaving?” 

“Yeah, I have to get home to Nathan. But you are coming over tomorrow to hang out with me, so don’t be too sad.” You bend down and give him a hug, and he squeezes you tightly. You laugh silently and tap his shoulder twice quickly, tapping out. That was Jack’s favorite thing to do when saying goodbye, squeeze as tight as he could, which wasn't that tight, until the other person tapped out. Jack goes back to playing with his toys. Aaron brings you in for a hug and you can’t help but breathe in his scent. Gunpowder, coffee, and an oak smell. An odd, but not surprising, combo that smelled absolutely amazing. You pull back and flash a quick smile at him before you open the door and head out. The Metro station wasn’t far from Aarons house, but you were honestly exhausted and knew you had a long time to go before you could sleep, so you pull out your phone and call the cab company. 

The cab arrives quite quickly, and you get in and tell them your address. You lived about ten minutes away from Aaron in a two bedroom apartment complex. You were just barely getting by, and Nathan had told you he was planning on getting a job to help you with groceries and bills, which just broke your heart. You wanted to take care of him like an adult, not need him to pull his weight at just fourteen to be able to stay with him. You were planning on pulling more shifts at work, and you had secretly been working at jobs where you could either work at home or at nights so that Nathan could relax. Between school, football, and the clubs he stays after for and hanging out with his friends, it honestly isn't even that realistic for him to get a job. The cab stops and you pay the fare and leave, the cold air chilling you to the bone. The apartment building was one of the older buildings and looked like a stereotypical apartment with the rusted red bricks it was built from. The inside was new, though, after a bunch of residents complained about the problem areas of their apartments.

You enter the building and go towards the elevator, saying ‘hello’ to the half-asleep receptionist before hitting the up button. You lived on the fourth story and whenever the elevator was out you would have to trudge up the dimly lit and dirty stairwell and it was the worst two minutes of your life. The elevator dings and you step to the side as a man in a dark green sweater and black pants comes rushing through. He bumps into you accidently, and mutters an apology, looking back at you as you step into the elevator. You raise your hand, letting him know that you accept the apology. You hit the fourth button and rest against the wall as it begins moving up, your eyes closed. You had to start cleaning the house up, prep dinner, do some laundry, and you needed to go through your expenses to figure out what you can cut back on. 

The ding startles you and your eyes pop open, but you step off into the hallway, your shoes scraping against the carpet. You walk all the way down the hallway and to the left and to your surprise, there’s a package leaning against your front door. You get the keys from your purse and pick the large envelope up, the contents inside shifting. You unlock the door and get in, setting your purse down onto the table that was placed right next to it. Your keys go into the bowl and you grab your phone and charger from the purse, tucking the envelope under your arm as you continue inside the apartment, closing the door behind you. Your phone buzzes in your hand and you glance down at it, seeing that you had a missed call from Aaron but a new text from Nathan. 

“Be home in twenty, Ben and AJ are gonna come over after they shower at home. Can we have pizza for din?” You sigh, shooting back a quick text letting Nathan know that you’ll order pizza after the boys get here. You’re not complaining about pizza, though; at least you didn't have to cook. You put the envelope down and call Aaron back, putting him on speaker as you go around the living room straightening up. Shoes, clothes, food wrappers, and dishes were thrown around, and it honestly looked like a tornado had gone through. 

“Hey! You called?” You asked as soon as Aaron answered. 

“Yeah, sorry about that. You left your jacket here. Do you want me to drop it off later tonight or tomorrow?” You sigh, not sure how you forgot your jacket when it was freezing outside. Then you remember how Aaron had grabbed your arm and how you gave him a big hug, and it all kind of makes sense. Not that you would ever admit it out loud (except on your deathbed, and even that’s a stretch) you kinda had a crush on Aaron. He was a great person; sweet, caring, funny, respectful and he had a damn good face and body. He had invited you and Nathan to come to the pool with him and Jack and you could barely look him in the eye the entire time, but your face sure as hell was red. 

“Tomorrow is fine. I have other jackets. Thanks for offering to bring it over.” You grab Nathan shoes from under the coffee table and have to hold back a gag. This kids feet smelled like rancid meat and no matter how many times you told him to keep the stink in his room, it always traveled. You say goodbye to Aaron and hang up, tossing your phone onto the couch, the envelope slipping your mind, How were you supposed to focus on that when your apartment smelled like teenage boy? You rush to finish cleaning up, putting clothes in the laundry baskets, dishes in the dishwasher, and trash in the trash can. By the time Nathan got home, the apartment was beginning to look a little better. 

“No! Go put that stuff in your room and straighten that up, please. And spray some febreeze in there so it doesn't smell like foot.” Nathan laughs and walks back into the room, and you sit down on the couch when you hear the shower start. You grab your phone and your stomach does a flip. Twelve missed calls from the same unknown number as earlier in the day, and a few text messages. You couldn't make yourself look at the texts, so you call Damion, your heart racing. He picks up and gives you a cheerful hello, but you cut him off.

“Damion, please tell me you’ve been pranking me with those stupid calls?”  
“What are you talking about, (Y/N/N). What calls?” His voice sounded serious, and you hang up. You text him with shaky hands and tell him that it was nothing, hoping he would come clean. You click the messages from the unknown caller, and you feel tears prick at your eyes.

“You look beautiful when you’re distracted. - 4:23  
Hello, answer me (Y/N)...or else. - 4:30  
I hope you enjoyed your package I dropped off. It was difficult to put together - 4:45”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took me so long, I'm very busy with school, but I promise that more uploads will be coming now! The story is picking up now, and I promise that it'll get even better from here!

There are two sharp knocks on your door and you jump, dropping your phone. You slink over to the front door, your heart and mind racing. You look through the peephole and let out the breath you were holding when you see that it’s just AJ and Ben, Nathans friends. You unlock the door and let them in, giving each of them a small side hug. Despite being fourteen and fifteen, the two boys were already towering over you. AJ had his bookbag, which looked like it was stuffed to the brim, and he was already wearing his pajamas and some slippers. Ben, on the other hand, was wearing jeans and a nice shirt, but an equally filled bag. You close and lock both locks on the door and turn towards the boys who were smiling at you.  
“Don’t look at me like that, Ben, I still have your mom's number on my phone,” Ben flushes red and AJ starts to laugh at the situation. “You too AJ, I can call her right now.” Both boys look at you with mock offense, and AJ throws his hand on his heart, gasping dramatically.  
“Wow, (Y/N/N), I thought we were cool.” You shrug your shoulders and laugh. You’ve known these two kids since before your parents died; Nathan and them had been best friends since diapers. They had been flirting with you half-jokingly since they turned 12, and they hadn’t let up since. You knew they were messing around, and you would never allow it to get past the joking stage and neither would they.   
“Nathan is just getting out of the shower, I think. Let him know you’re here and you can chill in his room, you guys can order the pizza and I’ll let you know when it gets here; pepperoni and extra cheese, okay?” The boys nod their heads in agreement and head off down the hall, cracking jokes. You lean against the kitchen counter and close your eyes, taking a shaky breath. You jump when Ben bangs on the bathroom door and tells Nathan that they’re here. Your hands were gripping the side of the counter, and when you move them they were bright red and you couldn’t steady them.   
Your mind wanders back to the text messages you received and the package, and suddenly you feel like you need to puke. You walk back over to the envelope which sat unopened on the counter, and you stare at it. You should call someone. The police, maybe. Or Aaron. You shake your head; no, he’d probably tell you that you were overreacting anyways. You grab it and try to figure out what was in it. After of tipping it to its side multiple times and not being able to tell, you rip it open and dump the contents onto the counter. When everything has registered in your mind, you clasp your hand onto your mouth to stifle the scream you want to let out.  
There were at least forty photos of you doing your everyday routine. You leaving work, at the mall, hanging with your friends on the weekend, even picking Nathan up after football practice and school. They go back to when you had longer hair, which was at least four months ago. This person had been watching you for four months at least, and you had no idea. You move a photo out of the way and see a photo of you out on your fire escape watering the plant out there from a couple days ago. It looked like the most recent, but you’re sure that there were more recent ones. The photos aren’t the only thing in the envelope; a small necklace and a folded up piece of paper were laid across the table too. You pick up the necklace, thinking it looked familiar, when you remember it was your moms old necklace that you thought you had lost a few weeks ago. One day it was in the jewelry box when you went to bed and the next, it was gone. You thought you had put it somewhere else, but seeing it now made the dots connect in your head, and you were unable to hold back your vomit now. You run to the sink, which was thankfully clean of dishes, and you vomit, the anxiety and fear and sickness you were feeling working against you. The creep was in the house. They had gone in there while you and Nathan, oh my god Nathan, slept. Who knows what else he did.  
Once you calm down, you walk back over to the items that lay on the countertop. The letter was on plain lined paper, tri-folded. You could see the faint silhouette of the swirly letters which seemed to take over the entire paper. You try and force yourself to read it, but you can’t. The thought of what this person could have written about you makes you sick to your stomach, and you don’t think you could throw up again. You move towards the couch where your phone still laid, and you pick it up, sighing in relief. No new messages from the number. Your finger hesitates over Aarons contact; you knew that he could help you with this and him and his team would catch this guy, but a small voice in the back of your head told you that you shouldn’t bother him with it. You shake your head, trying to get the thought out of your head, and you hit the call button.   
Aaron answers after the second ring, his voice heavy. You hear the tv on in the background and Jack snoring, so you assume they had fallen asleep watching a movie. You’re suddenly unaware of the fact that you have no idea how to explain the situation.  
“Aaron, I...I really need your help.” Despite yourself, your voice cracks. The severity of the situation is starting to make sense to you, and now you feel as though you’re about to have a panic attack.   
“What’s wrong?” You hear Aaron shift on the couch, and you sniffle.  
“I don’t know how to explain it, or how it started but...it’s serious. I kept getting calls all day by a random number and they said they could see me. I got a package and it’s filled with photos of me, a necklace I lost when I was at home, and a note. I can explain more if you come over.” Aaron is silent for a moment before telling you that he’s leaving to come over and he’s bring the team. You say your goodbyes and hang up, suddenly aware of the blinds that are opened. Normally, that wouldn’t bother you, but now that you’re in the situation you’re in, you hate it. You walk over and close them, drawing the curtains too. There is a knock on the door and you walk up to it, your heart pumping and body tense. You relax once you see that it’s the pizza man, and you grab your wallet from your purse and open the door. You pay and take the two pizza boxes, closing the door. As soon as you place the pizzas down you hear Nathans door open and you turn towards the counter which was still covered in the contents of the envelope.   
“Shit!” You think and you run to the counter, grabbing the envelope and shoving every photo into it, then the letter. You drop the necklace inside it when the three boys walk into the kitchen, and you hide it behind your back. They ignore you, talking and laughing amongst themselves while grabbing pizza. They mutter out ‘thank yous’ before going back into the hallway. You don’t put the envelope back onto the counter until the door closes behind them. Your phone buzzes and you look at the message, which is Aaron telling you he is out front and that he has Jack. Another message comes through telling you that the rest of the team just pulled in. You put your phone down and move to the door, pacing. You open the door after the first knock and Aaron looks shocked.  
The team comes in as you move to the side and you clench your jaw to try and stop the tears that want to bubble over. You close and lock the doors, and you turn around, motioning to the living room. “Let’s go out here and I’ll tell you guys what’s happening.” You had met the team at an earlier time when you brought Jack in to see Aaron for a moment. You liked them well enough and you definitely weren’t uncomfortable with them, but you just wanted them to figure this out. “Please try and be quiet, Nathan is in the room with a couple of his friends and I don’t want to bother him with this.”   
Aaron sits on the floor with Jack cuddled up next to him and Emily and JJ next to Jack, Spencer and Garcia in the seperate chairs on the right side of the room, David sitting on the arm of the couch, and Morgan leaning against the wall. You stand in the middle of the room and you begin pacing again, wringing your hands. 

“Calm down, (Y/N), just tell us what happened, okay?” David says, and you nod your head and you rush through the story again, afraid you might throw up. It’s starting to all swirl around in your head over and over and you finally stop pacing at turn towards the group, who are all silent.  
“The phone calls just started?” You nod. “Have you noticed anyone out of the ordinary? Someone you’ve noticed a lot?” Reid questions, shifting to cross his legs. You think back; you see a lot of people in your day, and none of them familiar. You shake your head and sigh.  
“I’m sorry I’m not that much help.” You’re beginning to feel absolutely useless. Aaron grabs your hand and rubs it, shaking his head.  
“You’re not useless, I promise. Can you get us the envelope? Do you mind if Morgan and Reid talk to Nathan and his friends? Maybe they’ve seen something you didn't.” You look back to the room nervously; you don’t want Nathan to have to deal with this, but you nod your head anyways. If it’ll help catch this son of a bitch, then who cares. You walk to the counter and grab the envelope, handing it carefully to Emily.   
“I haven’t read the letter, can you read that out loud to me when you do, please.” Emily nods, pulling out the pictures. JJ whistles at the number of photos, and your heart begins to race again when you see them. The separate the pictures between them and begin looking over them. Emily pulls out the necklace and note, but doesn’t unfold it. “The necklace was my moms. I thought I misplaced it a couple weeks ago because I remembered putting it in my jewelry box. I think… I think the person broke into my house.” You choke on the words. The thought still makes you feel nauseous.   
“How far back are these?” Morgan asks, glancing at you.   
“Four months, at least.” Morgan and Rossi share a look and you perk up. “What? What was that look, is there something I need to know?” Your breathing is getting heavier and faster, and you can tell that a panic attack is coming on again if someone doesn't start talking soon.  
“Whoever is stalking you has been silent for a long time. Something happened that’s making him reach out to you, and he’s not doing it carefully. He hand delivered this package to your door, and he’s already broken in. He’s escalating and I don’t think he’s going to stop until he gets you.” Morgan says matter-of-fact, and now you’re beginning to wish that he didn't say anything.   
“Oh god. Oh, my god, is he going to kill me? Nathan? Is it hot in here, it feels like it’s hot in here.” You’re pacing again and your face feels like it’s burning and you can barely breath and the walls seem like they’re closing in on you. “I don’t care what this… this asshole does to me, but if he lays a hand on Nathan I swear to god I will track him down and kill him myself!” You take a deep breath and look at the group, all of which that are staring at you with varying degrees of worry. Aaron stands up and wraps an arm around you, pulling you over to the couch and he gently pushes you down so you’re sitting.  
“We are going to be honest with you, okay, but you need to try and stay calm. Can you do that for me?” He asks, and you nod, taking a couple deep breaths. “We don’t think your stalker is going to hurt you. Considering the fact he’s been watching you for a four months now and is only just starting to contact you indicates that he probably wants you to contact him because he’s feeling ignored. Emily, can you read the letter, please? It’ll help us gain some insight.” Hes bent down in front of you like you’re a child and it made you feel even worse than you already do. You watch Emily as she unfolds the letter and reads through it, her face going pale and her mouth set in a straight line. Her eyes dart towards you and back to the paper again quickly, unable to meet your eyes. She clears her throat and begins reading slowly.  
“Dear (Y/N),  
I am so very happy to finally give you this package. I’ve been putting it together for a while, and the thought of you receiving it and finally understanding the love I have for you is the ultimate fantasy. Today is special, that’s why I’ve been reaching out so much. It’s the anniversary of the first day we met. You were in the nice blue dress which brought out the color of your eyes, and when you shook my hand you smiled so big and you held my hand for a second longer than I did. I knew then that you and I were meant for each other. Ever since then, I’ve been imagining our life together; the family we could create, a new house, a new school for Nathan. Everything would be perfect. No one would ever hurt you or leave you again.  
I’m returning your necklace. I hope you don’t mind the fact that I took it, but I just needed something that reminded me of you. You’re a really deep sleeper, you know. You were snoring a little, and I stayed in the corner watching you. I wanted to wake you up and take you away, but I couldn't. I didn't want you to think I was crazy or something. Because I’m not. I’m in love with you and every single thing that you do. You are the best thing in my life and you’ve been faithful this entire year. That’s another reason I knew you loved me, you never dated anyone else. I can’t wait to be with soon sweetie.  
There’s something else I need to tell you. Please don’t be mad. When I came into your room, I didn’t stay in the corner. I couldn't help myself; I laid down next to you. I was right next to you and I stared at you and you had no idea. I wish you would have woken up. You looked so beautiful with the light from the moon reflecting onto your face. Your skin is so soft, all of it. Everything about you is sweet and soft and supple and I can not wait until I can do every single thing I thought about doing when I was in that bed with you. I felt as if we were one, and I can’t wait until we are together forever. See you soon.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the nice comments, I seriously appreciate it! Hopefully the story will begin to pick up the pace from here on out, but nonetheless, let me know what you think of this chapter! Don't forget to leave a comment and a kudos!

You don’t remember much from the next three minutes. One minute you were hearing Emily read the letter out loud, and the next you were pretty much hyperventilating. Your head was in your hands and you were rocking back in forth, muttering to yourself. You jump slightly as Aaron rubs circles onto your back, pulling you closer into his body. Your body shakes with sobs and you were unable to wrap this around your mind. This had to be a joke, it couldn’t be real. It can’t be.  
“Shh, please. It’s fine, I promise you. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay? I swear on my life.” He whispers into your ears, and you nod, your breathing starting to get under control. You sit up, not moving away from Aarons grip, which thankfully didn’t loosen, and you wipe at the tears still trailing down your cheeks.   
“What do we do?” You question. You needed to do something, anything, to stop this guy. Your skin crawls remembering the end of the letter; he slept in the same bed as you. You stand up suddenly, unable to be in this room. It felt as though you were suffocating and you really needed some fresh air or you were going to blow chunks again. You rush into your bedroom and force open the window, stepping through and onto the fire escape. You only went out there when it was absolutely necessary, and you figured this was necessary. You crouch into the corner, the tears coming down your face once again. You hear footsteps approaching the window and you see Aaron peek his head out of the window.   
“Mind if I sit with you?” He asks, and you shrug. Of course you didn’t mind, but you didn't need him to know that you wanted nothing more than him to hold you and tell you everything was going to be alright, much like he already did. He steps through the window awkwardly, too tall to slip through like you did, and he sits down across from you. His feet were pressed against yours, and he stares at you, trying to find the words to say to you. You stare at the metal underneath you, picking at the chips in it. You didn't know what to say to him, and he didn't know what to say to you.   
“Morgan and Reid are going to talk to your brother and his friends. They’re just going to see if they’ve seen anything weird.” You look at Aaron, your eyes narrow, and you scoff. He tilts his head at you, not understanding why you’re pissed.  
“I told you not to involve them. The last thing I want is Nathan to look at me and see someone who’s in trouble, or for him to worry about me because it should be the other way around.” Aaron moves closer to you and grabs your hand with his. Your hand begins to tingle, and you stare at it before looking at him. The lamp light from below bounced off of his face, giving him the look of someone in an old tv. He looked younger, too, despite the furrow in his brow and the narrow eyes. He brings your hand to his lap, placing it in between both of his. You move closer to him, waiting for him to spew some type of wisdom and make you feel both better and worse.   
“I know. I wouldn't have them being interviewed if I didn’t think that they could help. I think Nathan has noticed something because it’s easier to notice something happening to another person then ourselves. We won’t push them, so don’t worry about that, but they do need to talk to Morgan and Spencer. Hey,” He takes one hand and grabs your chin, moving your face back so that you would look at him. You were unable to look him the eye as he spoke at first. “You’re going to be okay.” His hand lingers on your face, and unless you’re going crazy, his eyes glance to your lips. You swallow hard, and it feels as though time was slowing down, like he was moving forward towards you. Ohmygod,ohmygodohmygodOHMYGOD-  
A crash comes from your bedroom and the two of you juno away from each other and you could feel your face burning. Morgan poked his head through the window and smiled sheepishly. You peek around him and see your laundry basket, which you filled with everything but laundry, was spilled over.  
“Sorry, I didn't expect that to be in the way. Me and Brainiac are about to talk to Nathan and his friends,” He looks at you and Aaron, who isn’t looking you in the eye. “Everything okay?” You nod your head and flash him a smile, motioning for him to get out of the way. You climb through the window, waiting for Aaron to come through before closing the window and locking it. You pull the curtains closed tight, walking out of the room with your arms wrapped around yourself. It was damn cold yourself.   
(We’re gonna follow Morgan now because I have a good idea and I need it to be him, Spencer, and the kids oops)  
Morgan watched you as you walk past him, looking at Aaron, who’s face is set like stone.   
“You sure everything okay?” He asks, and Aaron sighs, looking at the spot you were just in before you disappeared around the corner.   
“I think so. Grab Reid and go interview Nathan, AJ, and Ben. I’m sure they’ve seen something.” He walks off quickly, and Morgan follows, motioning to Spencer when he walks into the living room. The two of them walk down the hallway, which was cramped and the cream-colored walls lined with pictures of you and your family, and they stop in front of Nathan’s door. On the wooden door stiff a sign that read “Keep Out,” and below it a “No Girls Allowed” sign, which you had scrawled ‘except for me’ onto the bottom of it. Sounds of laughter and video game sound effects floated through the door, and Morgan knocks on the door twice. They hear the video game pause and the three kids moving around quickly before the door opens suddenly.   
“Uhm….hi?” Nathan asks, going from Morgan’s chest to his face and over to Spencer. He was obviously expecting you, since you were much shorter than Morgan, and now was confused.   
“Can we come in? We need to ask you some questions.” Spencer says, and Nathan moves out of the way, allowing the two of them to move past him before he closes the door. Ben and AJ were in their pajamas, sitting on the floor close to Nathan’s bed. Blankets and pillows were stretched out onto the floor, which was littered in empty soda cans, food wrappers, and plates. The two kids share a look and turn back to the agents, gulping. “Hi. I’m, uh, Doctor Spencer Reid and thats Agent Derek Morgan, we’re with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. Is it okay if we ask you some questions regarding your sister?”  
“She’s not in trouble or anything, right? Because she doesn’t do anything to get in trouble with.” Nathan says quickly, his arms folding over his chest. He was obviously protective over you, and Morgan smiled despite himself. He shakes his head, leaning against the door and folding his arms.   
“Nah, she’s not in trouble. I’ll be honest with you three and you be honest with me, deal?” The kids nod their heads and Nathan relaxes enough to sit down in his bed. “We have reason to believe your sister is being stalked. It looks like it’s been happening for at least 4 months, maybe longer, but today she’s gotten multiple phone calls from them along with an envelope with photos of her dating back 4 months, a necklace stolen from the apartment, and a letter. Now, I don’t think this person will do anything to hurt her, but he is escalating, and we need to find him so he doesn’t have the chance to. Have you seen any strange guys more then two times hanging around you when your sisters there? Maybe at the mall or practice, someone who shouldn’t be there?”   
Nathan stares at the two men, his mouth agape. The room is deathly quiet, the only noise is Reid shifting from one foot to another. Nathan scoffs and puts his head in his hands, rubbing his face.   
“Why the hell did I not know this? I should have known something was wrong, what if something had happened to her?” He stops and looks at Morgan, tears in his eyes. “No. I haven’t noticed anyone weird. I’m sorry I can barely think.”   
“It’s alright kid, seriously. Just think back, okay?” Morgan turns towards the other two who know have his full attention. “What about you guys? Have you seen anything?” AJ shakes his no quickly, but Ben stares at the carpet. Morgan moves off of the wall towards him, bending down in front of Ben to get him to look at him. “Ben? You wanna tell me something?” Ben looks at Morgan, his usually bright blue eyes dark. He shrugs, picking at his nail.  
“One time, I think. We were at the mall about a month ago and (Y/N) was with us because we only needed to grab something at Gamestop and she wanted to go the book store. After we finished at the first store, I saw this weird guy. He was just sitting on one of the benches and staring inside at her. I just ignored him, but I saw him again near the bookstore and when we were walking past the food court. He was always staring at her, and when I saw him the third time he saw me staring and… and he held his finger up to his lips, like he was telling me to keep quiet. It freaked me out, and I told her that I really didn’t feel good and she took us home and that was the last time I saw him. I didn't say anything to her because… I don't know. It didn't seem that crazy. I forgot about it until now.”   
“Weir how? Can you describe him for me, please?” Reid asks, stepping away from Nathan's desk that he was examining and towards Ben. Nathan and AJ were staring at Ben and AJ pats Ben on the back.   
“He had a weird vibe to him, that’s all. Like, I was creeped out with him just being there. He was white, 30 years old or so, I think, he wasn’t heavy or skinny, and he was wearing this dark green jacket and it was zipped all the way up. I saw him when he was standing, and he was tall like you, and he had this… this scar on his face. By his hairline, right here.” He makes a line across his forehead, and Spencer nods, making a mental note of the scar.  
“Okay, that’s good. Nathan, have you ever seen someone like that hanging around the building? Have you seen any unmarked packages delivered to the apartment with no return address?” Nathan shakes his and then nods. His entire body stills as he looks up at Morgan and Reid, his face pale.   
“I- I haven’t seen anyone hanging around, but I did see a package before. It didn't have a return address and I gave it to (Y/N). I think she brought it into her room, but besides that I don’t know what she did with it. Was that the same guy? It was almost a month and a half ago.” Nathan stutters out, and Morgan and Reid share a look.   
“Okay, thank you. We’ll go see if she saw anything or if she still has the package, but before I go, two things; None of you need to beat yourselves up for not noticing anything or not saying anything, and you should probably open the window and spray some cologne, the box under the bed filled with weed isn't hiding it very well.” Morgan sends the kids a wink before heading out the door and Reid nods at them before shutting it behind him. They walk back down the hallway and the conversation in the living room stops when they walk through. You turn and look at them, your eyes red and puffy, and Reid comes and sits down on the other side of you.   
“We have a description. Now let’s find this son of a bitch.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: brief mentions of rape/sexual assault, implied violence

“Ben said he saw a weird guy following them around the mall a month ago, but he gave us a description. White male, 30’s, he was wearing a dark green zip up jacket, and he had a scar going across his forehead. Does that sound like anyone you’ve seen before?” Reid says, and you think back. You were sitting down next to Aaron and Spencer once again, and you had been staring at the fraying corner of the small area rug you had in the living room while they discussed precautions. You shake your head, wiping at your eyes. Why did this have to happen to you? 

“Garcia, can you search the database for someone matching the description that has lived here their entire lives and possibly gotten out of jail for stalking? Any people with a restraining order on them from other girls that look like (Y/N) would be good too.” David asks and Garcia nods, flipping open her laptop, beginning to type quickly. When you woke up this morning, finding out you had a stalker that your hot friend and his team from the FBI would have to take down was the least plausible outcome of the day, and yet here you were. You hear the door in the hallway open and you turn around to see Nathan, Ben, and AJ standing there awkwardly. 

“I...I just wanted to check up on you.” Nathan says quietly, and you feel your heart break. This poor kid has been through so much already, and your situation wasn’t helping at all. You wave him over and he drags his feet, his jaw clenched. You practically raised Nathan and you could tell that he was trying hard not to cry or show just how worried he was about you. You scoot closer to Aaron and pat the seat in between you and Spencer, who scoots over to the other side to allow Nathan to sit next to you. 

“AJ, Ben, is it alright if I call your parents to pick you up? I’ll just say that I got sick and I didn’t want to give you the bug.” 

“No!” Ben protests and immediately flushes red when he notices everyone staring at you. “Listen, you’re pretty much like family to me. I’m not gonna let some creep mess with you. I’m not leaving.” You nod your head and rub Nathans back, patting him as he stands up, sniffling. He smiles at you weakly and you watch him as he walks back into his bedroom, AJ and Ben following like lost puppies. You shove your head into your hands once you hear the door close and let out a loud sigh which cases Jack to laugh at you. 

“Hey, we know it’s been a long night. Do you want us to leave and come back tomorrow?” Aaron asks, and you shrug. You honestly didn’t want to be left alone, but you knew these people also had lives of their own and that you just made them drop everything they had planned. “Me and Jack will stay here and if any of them would like too then they can, but if they want to leave, they can; does that sound alright?” He asks, and you nod, waiting for all of to stand up and run away. No one does. You look up at these people, most of whom you’ve only met a handful of times, and you see that they’re all willing to give up their one free day to come and help you out. You can feel the tears prickle in your eyes, but you smile instead. You have no idea how you’re ever going to thank them. 

“Thank you guys, really. You have no idea how much this means to me. You really don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to, I’ll be fine.” They wave you off and a wave of admiration washes over you. Garcia stops typing and you watch as her face grows pale as she reads the screen. “What is it Penelope?”

“Uhm, I-I think I found the person who’s stalking (Y/N). His name is Michael Tam, he’s 36 years old, and in 1999 when he was 18, he was charged with stalking, attempted rape, and sexual assault with a weapon. The woman was a year younger than Michael and she looked like (Y/N). Apparently, the two of them had been dating and she broke up with him after he started acting like, and I quote, ‘a deranged crazy person.’ He stalked her for two months before breaking into her bedroom when she was home alone and attempting to rape her, but luckily her parents got home and were able to call the police and save her before anything too bad happened. When the police came and arrested him, he kept going on about how she was a ‘stupid bitch who deserved to be treated like a pig.’ I seriously hate this guy.

Anyways, he was arrested a year ago for peeping into various womens windows, but he was let out five months ago. He has a medical record from his time in jail, though, because an inmate heard him talking about his daughter and he attempted to scalp him.”

The room was deathly quiet and you could hear your heartbeat in your ears. If this guy did this to someone he knew, you can’t even begin to imagine what he would do to you. You look at the others as they stare at the ground, unable to look you in the eye. Garcia turns the laptop towards you, showing you the mugshot of the man, and you let out an audible gasp.

“What? Do you know him?” Rossi asks, and you nod, staring at the picture.

“Yes. I… I’ve seen him at my job multiple times, he sometimes hangs around by the front desk until someone tells him to leave. Oh my god, I’ve seen him everywhere. He hangs out around the apartment sometimes, I just thought he was homeless. I talked to him, gave him money. Is that why he’s been watching me?” The thoughts run through your mind and the fact that none of them were saying anything was driving you crazy. Maybe if you hadn’t talked to him, if you had just walked past him, none of this would be happening.

“Hey, don’t do that. None of this is your fault, okay? None of it. This man is crazy, and he made the decision to stalk you. If it wasn’t you, it would be some other girl. Garcia, is there a known address of his?” Garcia types quickly and shakes her head.

“Doesn’t look like it. His last known address is from three years ago, but there’s a new owner. Michael doesn’t have any credit cards, a cell phone, a single bill to his name; it’s like he’s off the grid.” You take a deep breath and stand up. When you get really upset, you clean, and you really just wanted to straighten up the house and hopefully it would clear your mind and help you think. You feel everyone’s eyes on your back as you walk to the kitchen, moving the trashcan over to the counter as you begin to pick everything that had been left on there from the boys.

“Guys, can we just….can we just stop? Please? I know we need to catch this guy, and trust me I want to, but if i hear anything relating to this guy or what he’s done, I’m going to puke. Again.” You call out, still not facing them. You hear Aaron mumble something and you hear Garcia’s laptop shut. You smile. Aaron was always behind you and your decisions, and the fact that he would go to all of this just to make sure you were comfortable was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for you. You hear the floorboards creak behind you and you turn around to see Morgan standing there, his arms folded over his chest.

“Hey. I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you were good. Do you need anything?”

“My normal life back. And a back rub.” Morgan laughs, his eyes flashing with a hint of worry. You had known Morgan the longest out of everyone besides Aaron and he had adopted the ‘overprotective older brother’ role in your life, which was annoying when you would be getting hit on by an extremely cute guy and he came out of nowhere to scare him off, but it was also a blessing. You knew that he was just waiting for the right guy to come along for you, which was sweet and he had tried to lay off on watching over you. He was pretty much one of your best friends, and you guys said everything to each other basically. 

“Morg, I’m serious; I’m okay. I just… I just want a break for the rest of the night, that’s all. I promise I’ll be in it 100% tomorrow.” He nods, gazing at you with uncertainty. You smile at him and kick the trashcan to the side so you could slip past him before flopping down onto the couch. Jack crawls into your lap, his arms wrapped around your neck as he nuzzles into your shoulder. He lets out a yawn and you giggle. “Hey, Morg, there’s extra blankets in the hall closet, you all can grab some and spread out. Someone can sleep on the floor in my room too.”

When Morgan steps into the hallway, a sharp knock comes from your front door. You stare at it and then look at Aaron. You assume he sees the look of panic in your eyes because he stands up and draws his gun, moving towards the door slowly. Jack mutters and you shush him gently, rubbing his back. You were pretty sure your heart was going to burst out of your chest as Morgan comes from the hallway with his gun drawn too. Aaron looks through the peephole for a second and promptly puts his gun back into its holster, unlocking the door and opening it. The night manager, a teenager who looked like he was absolutely thrilled to be up here, held a package in his hand. “Here, a guy dropped it off for (Y/N), let her know.” He goes to walk off but Aaron stops him.

“What did this guy look like?”

“I don’t know. White, oldish, he had on a hat and he looked down. He paid me $20, dude, I wasn’t gonna ask questions. Can I go now?” Aaron sends him off and you stand up, laying Jack back down onto the couch. You rush over to Aaron and attempt to take the package from his hands, but he stops you. He stares at it and takes a deep breath before ripping the top open, pulling out the contents. A picture, much like the ones taken of you, was inside, including another piece of paper.

On the back of the picture read “leave.” in quickly scrawled handwriting, and as Aaron flips it over you let out a soft sob. It was a picture of you and him on the balcony only moments before, but Aarons face was scratched out angrily. You snatch the letter from Aarons hand and open it, reading it out loud, though the handwriting was a little hard to read as it was large and there were many ink splatters.

“How dare you sit with another man. You were mine, you are mine, and you will not disrespect me like this again. I promise you I will hurt you and the people you care about in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. I WILL SEE YOU SOON AND WHEN I DO YOU WILL WISH YOU HAD NEVER FUCKING DONE THIS.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took me so long to post, I am trying my best ahhh. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter though, I had fun writing it! More updates to come!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Language and mention of extreme violence. Please read at your own risk!

Shit. SHIT. You can feel my heart in your throat and it takes everything in you to push it down. You look up from the letter, which hasn’t left the tight grip of your hand, and you swallow hard. The room is deathly quiet. Garcia has her hand over her mouth, Reid and Morgan share a look, and Hotch stares at you, his eyebrow furrowed. He reached out his hand to touch you but you pull back, not really knowing why. You feel sick and if anyone touched you, or said anything, you’d probably blow chunks everywhere. You look at the letter again, gulping. Two packages in one day. Christ. 

“(Y/N)...” Aaron begins but you cut him off. You don’t know what came over you, but you couldn’t keep lying to yourself and say that everything was going to be okay. That they would catch this guy before anything else happened, that he wouldn’t hurt you or, god, Nathan. He would get to Aaron and Morgan, Reid, Garcia, Emily, JJ, Rossi, he could even get to Jack. No. You were scared shitless, but the thought of this asshole hurting the people you cared about most in the world was enough to get your blood to boil. 

“I’m not letting that happen. Now, I know your job is to stay here and protect me, but I’m not putting you guys in the line of fire for me,” You turn towards Aaron. “I want you to get Nathan, AJ, and Ben, and I want you all to get out of here. Go down to one of your houses, the police station, Quantico, I don’t care, but you guys aren’t staying here.” You were met with disagreements from all end. You fold your arms across your chest and stare them all down. 

“No! We’re not leaving while that asshole is still out there!” Aaron says and You shake your head. “Why do you want us to leave?” His voice goes quiet, and you can’t bring yourself to look him in the eye; it breaks your heart. 

“Because if something were to happen to you guys, or Jack, or Nathan...I would never forgive myself.”

“And if anything were to happen to you, WE would never forgive ourselves.” He says sharply and you bite your lip. Why isn’t he understanding that this is what needs to happen? You shake your head in annoyance, wiping at your face. The rest of them stood there silently, watching the two of you bicker.

“Aaron, I can not sit in my apartment like a caged animal. I can’t give this guy all of this power; I just can’t. Please, let me do what I need to do.” You feel the tear slide down your cheek and the look Aaron gives you makes you want to cry even harder. All you wanted to do was protect the people that were the most important thing in your life, and they couldn’t accept it. Aaron shakes his head, sighing. He swipes at his face and turns to the rest of the team. 

“You guys can go. I’m going to drop Nathan and Jack with Jessica, AJ, and Ben off at their houses, and then I’m coming back here,” He turns to you now, his face set like stone. “No arguments.” The others grumble and begin to pack up except Morgan, who walks up to you immediately. He wraps his arms around you and squeezes tight, which you accepted without your normal fight. He pulls back, his arms still on your side, and smiles sadly. 

“You’re gonna be okay, (Y/N). We’re gonna catch him.” You nod and lean against the counter as he walks away. Reid, Rossi, Garcia, Emily, and JJ all walk out the door, hugging you tightly and giving you words of encouragement. Aaron held Jack and waited until Morgan walks down the hall to Nathan’s room to walk up to you. Jack was half asleep but he waves at you slowly, his arm dropping to his side. You poke him slightly, still not wanting to look at Aaron, but he clears his throat. 

“I don’t like this. At all. But I know you’re a proud person, and you probably feel powerless, so this is giving you a little bit of power, but I still don't-” Your face contorts, a scoff escaping your mouth, cutting him off. 

“Aaron, no offense, but don’t analyze me. I’m not an UnSub. Do that with Michael.” You mutter viciously as Morgan walks out of the hallway, followed by the three boys. Nathan had an angry expression on his face, and he barely gave you a hug before he walked out of the door. You say goodbye to AJ and Ben who wish you luck, and you send a quick wave to Morgan. You look at Aaron and sigh. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.” He simply nods and wraps an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into him. You breathe in his scent and you feel different when he pulls away. 

You stare at him, the overhead light making his brown eyes move like molten copper, and you have an overwhelming urge to tell him how you feel. That you love him, that you have ever since the day he came to your house four hours early and helped you make a dinner for Nathan’s graduation when you were too broke to get him anything. You wanted to tell him just how much he meant to you and to Nathan. But you couldn’t. You simply patted him on the back as he left and stood there in silence when he shut the door behind him. 

A chill ran through your body almost immediately. You lock the door, letting out a deep sigh as you survey your apartment. The blinds in the living room were drawn and shut, and you knew Nathan never opened his. Your bedroom. You can’t remember if you locked the door after you and Aaron left the fire escape. You hesitate on walking back there; you obviously didn’t think this through. You were in your apartment alone, where your stalker has already proven to be able to get inside. You see the knife block to your right on the countertop and you grab one, your hand shaking. If someone was actually in your bedroom, you would never be able to force yourself to stab them. Maybe. You have no idea, you’ve never had to deal with this.

You walk down the dimly lit hallway, your hand gripping the knife as you come up to your bedroom door. Your light is still on, and you don’t see or hear anyone moving around inside, which you take as a good sign. You rest your hand on the doorknob and throw it open, your heart beating out of your chest. Nothing. You step inside, peeking behind your door and looking into the closet and under your bed. You let out the breath you were holding and see that the window is shut and locked, the blinds and curtain drawn. 

You decide to leave the light on for right now, closing the door behind you tightly. You walk back into the living room, feeling a little silly for what just happened. You drop the knife back into the rack, noticing just how still the apartment was. You wrap your arms around yourself, walking into the living room. You grab the tv remote, turning the tv on and setting it on a dumb reality tv show. It would take Aaron about twenty minutes to drop everyone off and get back, so you might as well try and relax, which was easier said than done. You sit down in the corner facing the window, afraid to look away from a point of entry. Grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around yourself, you sink deeper into the couch, the exhaustion from the day finally setting into your body.

Suddenly, you hear a loud knock at the door. You sit up straight, shaking your head. The tv is on a new show, which means you had fallen asleep waiting for Aaron, who was probably there right now. You stand up, stretching slightly as you walk towards the door, half asleep. Without looking out of the peephole, you turn the lock and open it, a smile on your face as you begin to say hi to Aaron. Except it wasn’t him. You come face to face with Michael, who smirks at you before forcing you into your apartment. He slams the door behind the two of you and you don’t know what to do. Too many thoughts are running through your mind and all you can do it stare at him. 

The blanket, which was wrapped around your body, fell to the ground. Michael looks you up and down, his eyes darkening. 

“Hi, (Y/N).” He says, his voice grating. He takes a step closer towards you and you quickly step back right into the wall. The keys, which were hanging up, jingle, and Michael tilts his head at you. “What? Are you scared? I wonder why,” He murmurs, reaching a hand into his coat pocket and pulling out a knife. Your heart speeds up and you bite the inside of your cheek hard, tasting your metallic blood. “Is it because you decided to be a dirty fucking slut and betray me?” Your eyes are on the knife, the light from the lamp making it glisten. You avert your eyes from it once Michael begins to pace in front of you. Your phone. If you got your phone, you would be able to text Aaron, who could call the police for you, and if you could distract him long enough, get Michael arrested. 

“Now, I thought you were different. For months, you never looked at another man, and the day I give you a gift that I worked so fucking hard on, you decide to cheat on me on the fire escape, where everyone, including me, could see?! What the fuck is wrong with you? I thought you were the one? You’re lucky you sent everyone home after my letter because I was planning on coming in here and gutting every single one of them in front of you. To teach you a lesson. I didn’t know if I was going to do it to Nathan last or that guy you tried to screw. I might leave it to them to decide, and make them beg,” Michael laughs as if he had made a joke, taking the knife and scratching his face with it. 

“But now, I have the rest of my time with you.” You attempt to move towards the knife rack but Michael catches your arm, gripping it tightly and yanking you closer to him. His breath smelled of alcohol and cigarettes and his teeth were rotten. You turn your face from him, your hair falling on your face. You want nothing more than for Aaron to come into the room and get him off of you. Ring, ring. Your phone starts ringing, and you turn to face it, your breath hitching in your throat. Michael looks at you and then your phone, smirking before yanking you towards your phone. “Answer it and put it on speaker.” He demands, and you shakily grab your phone and hover over the answer button. It was Aaron.

‘Hello?” You ask, trying your hardest to make your voice sound normal. You really don’t want anger Michael, who was watching you intently. 

“Hey, I’m stuck in traffic, I should be there in ten minutes. Everything going okay?” Michael nods his head at you moving to put the knife closer to you. You swallow, closing your eyes and letting a tear run down your cheek.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” 

“What’s wrong?” Shit, Aaron knew you way to well. You could hear your voice crack, and you just wanted to tell Aaron what was happening, but before you could, Michael snatches the phone from you.

‘She’s fine, now that she’s with me,” Michael takes it off of speaker so you couldn’t hear his responses, which he knew you wanted to hear. “Yes, that’s me. If I touch her? She’s my property; I can do what I want,” He waits a moment before letting out a loud laugh. “We won’t be here when you arrive. Don’t worry, you’ll see her again. In the morgue.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been almost a month and a half since I updated, which I apologize for, but hopefully, this one is a chapter you enjoy. Leave comments on what you think is going to happen, and don't forget to leave a kudos if you enjoy the story! I'll try and update again at the end of the week, but I'll be updating my other stories too (which you should check out!)


	7. Chapter 7

You watch as Michael ends the call with Aaron, shutting your phone off and slipping it into his pocket, the tears stinging your eyes. The feeling of doom washed over you; this was it. This was the end. Michael smiles at you crookedly once again and reaches for you. You flinch away from his touch and his face contorts angrily. 

“Come on, we’re leaving. I’m not done with you yet.” You open your mouth to protest when the knife catches the light once again and you shut it immediately. You began to work this through your mind; if you tried to get away, or attempted to hurt Michael, he would most likely kill you. He was almost an entire foot taller than you and not to mention 100+ pounds. There was no way to get past him. The only logical thing you could do was to listen to him and when you found a chance, get away. 

He grabs your arm roughly and yanks you to the door, the knife pressed into your back. “When we get outside, if you even look at another person, I will kill everyone around us with my gun. Do you understand?” He whispers roughly. You nod your head, slipping on your shoes by the door and waiting in the hallway for Michael to step out. You glance nervously down the hallway, jumping when Michael closes the door. The two of you walk side by side, Michaels arm wrapped around your body tightly. You’re sweating, the close contact with the man making your body go into fight or flight mode. You get onto the elevator, into the lobby, and out the door before he says anything to you.

“Get in the car, in the passenger seat.” He growls, leading you towards the rusted red pickup. You open the door shakily, slipping in and taking a deep breath as he walks around the car. He slips in beside you, slamming the door and locking it. You sit as still as you can, your eyes on the dashboard. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Michael turn to you, and without warning, he hits you. Your head hits the window and you can immediately feel the blood begin to pour from your head and nose. You hold onto your head and look at him as he begins to drive. 

“Why are you doing this to me?” You ask quietly. The two of you have been driving for ten minutes now, and he had finally turned down a dirt road. You had no idea where you were, but all you could think about was Aaron and what he was doing. He knew Michael and you knew that he would find you, but you were worried it was already too late. The car continues down the road, the only light coming from the headlights. 

“Because you ruined our relationship.” He says, slowing the car down as a house comes into view. It was run down old shack, the boards splitting and falling away from the walls. There was no door, though as you got closer you could see it laying on the ground, ten feet away. Michael puts the car in park and stares at you. “Get out of the car.” 

He takes the key from the ignition, darkness surrounding you. You get out of the car, your heart pounding. You tried to use the breathing technique you’ve given to every single patient of yours: In 5, hold 4, out 6, hold 4. Repeat. You do that the entire time as you and Michael walk to the house. Michael has a grip on your wrist so tight that your hand was starting to go numb. What could you do? You had no idea where you were, you had no weapon to defend yourself with while he had two, and you were absolutely terrified. You curse yourself for not making a scene back at the hotel, for not fighting back. Sure, you might have gotten hurt but at least there was a goddamn chance someone could stop Michael or save you. Now you’re here, in the middle of nowhere, completely at the mercy of Michael. Great.

“Sit in the chair.” Michael orders as the two of you step into the house. When he sees you looking around the room he storms over to you, takes the gun out of the waistband of his pants and points it at you. “I said sit in the chair.” He yells and you jump. You scurry over to the chair that you honestly don’t want to sit in because of just how gross it looked, but the threat of the gun makes you abandon that thought quickly. You sit down and stare at Michael, who prowls around you like a starving lion. He walks up to you and squats, tilting his head, smiling and showing off his rotten teeth. 

“This is going to be fun.” He says sharply before standing back up and walking behind you. You close your eyes, a tear slipping down your face. This was it. You were going to die. You wanted nothing more than to get this over with but then you started to think of Nathan. He would be all by himself, he would have to identify your body and plan another funeral. You open your eyes, clenching your jaw. You couldn’t do that to him. You were going to fight for Nathan. You were going to fight for yourself. 

You hear Michael walking back towards you and you act quickly. Standing up, you kick the wooden chair behind you. You turn and see it slam into Michaels' legs, knocking him to the ground. He lets out a groan and you feel a wave of triumph wash over you before you move towards him. You pull your foot back and kick as hard as you can, landing in the soft center of his stomach. You do it once, twice more before he grabs your ankle and yanks. You land on your ass, smashing your head into the ground. You groan, your head throbbing even worse than before, and you try to blink back the black spots that were appearing in your vision. 

You sit up but are immediately hit back down. Michael is standing over you, his knuckles and nose bloody. He spits to the side of you and gets down on top of you. Every time you get ready to move away from him or fight back, he hits you again. By the time he stands up your entire mouth is filled with blood and your eye is swollen. Your eyebrow was split, causing blood to seep into your eye. Michael begins to kick you, knocking the wind out of you. You try to crawl away from him, but he refuses to let you catch your breath. 

“You wanna hit me, you fucking bitch? I’ll show you,” He says in between blows. You scream in agony as you feel Michaels boot connect to your side, hitting your rib hard. You can barely breathe now, and you simply lay there. He stops, staring down at you. “You’re pathetic, you know that. Get up! You want to get away from me so bad, get the fuck up and fight!” He yells, but you can’t hear him. Your head was throbbing, every bone in your body feeling as though it was broken, which probably wasn’t far from the truth. Your vision was growing dark and you cough, feeling the blood shoot from your mouth onto the wooden floor. 

“What, are you dying? Good! Fuck you. We could have avoided all of this if you hadn’t been a slut.”

“I didn’t do anything,” You say. Michael looks at you with contempt. “You were stalking me like a fucking psychopath. Of course I was scared. My friend helped calm me down, and guess what? He’s going to find you. And if he doesn’t ‘gut you like a fish,’ he’ll throw your ass in jail for as long as he possibly can.” You look up at Michael, using a bit of your energy to wipe the warm blood from your vision. He looks down at you, swallowing hard. Apparently, jail was not in his original plan.

“He’s a federal fucking agent, you asshole.” You spit, laughing harshly as Michael's eyes widen. He looks around frantically. He turns away from you, grabbing the back of his head and berating himself when you spot the knife. It must have dropped out of his hand when you had kicked the chair back at him. You sit up slowly, the room beginning to spin. You look towards Michael when you get on your knees and begin to crawl towards the knife. Michael was still muttering to himself and as you stood up, you could see your phone in his hand. You walk towards him slowly, your grip on the knife tight. Stumbling over your feet, barely being able to see, you reach Michael and close your eyes, plunging the knife into his shoulder. 

He screams out in agony, the phone clattering to the ground. You pull the knife out, shocked. You didn't think you would actually stab him. You’ve never stabbed anyone before and now you felt sick to your stomach, even if he deserved it. Michael threw his jacket off, the blood already beginning to soak through his shirt. He turns to you in disbelief. 

“You. Bitch.” He lunges at you, which you barely dodge, and you send the knife into his side once again. You’re already growing weaker, and every breath is agony. Michael plummets to the ground and so does your knife. You shuffle towards the phone, tripping over your feet. It took everything for you to move towards the side of the building and you basically collapse. You press ‘1’ and the phone begins to ring. You turn on the speakerphone and drop it onto your lap, your head leaning against the wall. Aaron answers after the second ring.

“(Y/N)? Is that you?” He asks, his voice full of worry. He shushes whoever was talking in the background, and you heard the distinct sound of a car horn blaring for a split second. “(Y/N)?” He repeats, and you close your eyes, taking a deep breath.

“I’m here.”

“Oh thank god. Look, we’re on our way. Garcia got the address from your phone, and we’re five minutes away. Where’s Michael? Are you safe?” You open your eyes a little and see Michaels body still on the floor, a puddle of blood forming under him. 

“He’s dead. I had to…” A tear slips down your cheek and you let out a soft sob. You just had to kill someone. “I think I’m safe. I don’t know, really. I’m really tired.”

“What happened? Stay on the phone with me, (Y/N), please.” 

“He brought me to some house in the middle of nowhere. I tried to fight back; I kicked him a bunch. But he kinda got the upper hand. I’m really messed up, Aaron. I don’t…” You didn’t want to say it out loud, but it’s the only clear thought amidst the cloudy ones. “I don’t think I’m going to make it.” You hear Aaron take in a deep breath.

“Don’t say that.”

 

“Listen to me, Aaron. I want you to tell Nathan something,” You close your eyes once again, the tears fully falling down now. Aaron tries to talk again but you cut him off. Every word you speak is agony and all you want to do is have the pain stop. “Tell him that I’m proud of him. That he grew up to be such an amazing kid and that I know he’s going to grow up to be even better than he is now. Tell him that I love him. And tell the team I said thank you. You guys tried your best, but it’s okay. And Aaron, don’t blame yourself, okay?”

Aaron starts talking to you, telling you to stop talking like you’re a dead woman. That they’re only a minute away. You can hear the sirens in the distant and you smile, closing your eyes, the world going dark.


	8. Chapter 8

The sound of beeping and muffled talking woke you up. Your eyes open slowly, blinking hard as the bright light shines straight into your eyes. You let out a loud groan, your head pounding, and you can hear gasps coming from all sides of you. You force yourself to open your eyes, coming face to face with Nathan. His face was red, his eyes puffy, and he had noticeable tear stains on his cheeks. He lets out a sob, grabbing you and hugging you tightly. You let out a small smile, squeezing him back. 

 

“Hey, buddy.” You hoarsely say and Nathan pulls back, laughing quietly. You grab ahold of his hand, looking around the rest of the room and seeing everyone's relieved faces; Morgan, JJ, Garcia, Rossi, Emily, Reid, and Aaron all stood around your bed in various states of relief and happiness. There was a knock at the door and an old nurse enters, a large smile on her face.

 

“Oh, it sure is good to see you up. These friends of yours have been here the entire time! How are you feeling?” She asks, squeezing past Aaron to get to your side where the machines were. She presses a button and the bed begins to move up and you squeeze your eyes shut as your vision begins to swim a little. 

 

“Im...okay. My head really hurts, though. How long have I been here?”

 

“Two days. You were in bad shape when they brought you in; two broken ribs, a bruised nose, a LOT of nasty cuts and scrapes on your face and arms. You had to get about 35 stitches in your head and 10 in your face above your eyebrow, so you’ll have some scars, but you’re okay now.” The nurse says, not looking at you as she fixes the machines. You glance down and see your leg in a starch white cast. Your body felt heavy and you were sure it was from the pain meds they forced you to take when you got here, not that you can remember it. The nurse flashes you a smile and leaves the room. You look at Aaron, biting your lip.

 

“Was Michael…?” You had the vague memory of him on the floor, bleeding. You knew the memories would come back eventually, but you needed to know now. He nods his head, and you let out the breath you were holding. You didn’t know how to feel; Sure you were happy Michael was dead and that he couldn't do this to anyone else, but at the same time you were sad you had to kill him. That you had to take someone's life away from them. Nathan lets go of your hand and smiles at you sheepishly. 

 

“Is it okay if I go down there and get some food? I haven't eaten since I heard you were in the hospital.” You give him a stern look, breaking and laughing at him. 

 

“Sure, go ahead. Bring me back some good food, though.” He nods, walking out of the room. Morgan and the rest of them look at Nathan and then you, shrugging. You sigh, giggling. 

 

“You guys can go get something to eat too. Thank you. For everything.” You say, grabbing a hold of Reid’s hand since he was closest. You meet everyone's eyes, smiling wide. Morgan comes over to you as everyone else except Aaron files out and he hugs you quickly. He flashes Aaron a wink before heading out behind the rest of them. Aaron is still standing next to you, his arms folded over his chest. His hair was a mess and the bags under his eyes were large. You squint at him, tilting your head.

 

“Did you even sleep since I’ve been in here?” You ask and he avoids your eyes, giving you the answer. “Aaron! You need to sleep! Hell, I got to take a nap the past two days and I feel refreshed.” He still refuses to look at you, only doing so when you reach over and grab ahold of his hand. “What’s the matter?”

 

“I left you. I left you alone in that apartment, and Michael got to you and almost...” He swallows hard, sitting down on the edge of your hospital bed. “It was my fault.” You squeeze his hand tightly, pulling him closer to you. You pull him into a hug, your heart breaking. You pull back and stare at him, waiting for him to look at you to begin talking. 

 

“Aaron, what happened to me was not your fault. It was Michaels. If he had come into that apartment and you were there, he would have killed you. He would have killed us both. Nothing that happened was either of our faults, okay? Michael was a fucking creep and he gave us no other option. He wasn’t gonna go quietly.”   
  


Aaron nods, and the two of you continue to lock eyes. You smile softly, feeling the back of your neck begin to burn. You see Aaron swallow and decide to do the thing you’ve always wanted to do. You kiss him. You lean in slowly, praying that he wouldn't jump up and run out of the room, and thankfully, he didn't. He leaned in too, and the second your lips connected with his, you could feel the electricity go through your body. Aarons body seems to relax tenfold, his hand coming down and wrapping around your neck, yours becoming tangled in his hair. You pull back trying to catch your breath and the two of you let out a small laugh. 

 

“You know, I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” Aaron says, and you laugh, biting your lip.

 

“Me too.” A knock from the door snaps both of you out of whatever trance you were just in. Morgan and Nathan stood there with food in their hands. They place the food onto the tray that wrapped around your bed. 

 

“This is the only thing that looked remotely appetizing, so here you go,” Nathan said, leaning over to whisper into your ear. “I like Aaron. You guys should date. He’d be good for you.” You could feel your face heat up, pushing Nathan off of you before winking at him. The rest of the team files back in and they catch you up on the things you missed while you were out. Your hand rested under the table tray and you smile to yourself as Aaron grabs ahold of it and squeezes it once. You look up at him, smiling as you catch his eye, and you rest your head onto his arm. You ignore the teasing that immediately came from Morgans mouth, rolling your eyes in response. You were happy. The wave of relief that washed over you was phenomenal. 

 

“So, what are you gonna do once you're all healed up?” Reid asks and you tilt your head thinking. 

 

“I guess… I guess I gotta take the BAU certification tests. I’m joining you guys.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end! In all honesty, I'm a little sad to see it go. I left the ending vague and I was wondering if you guys would want a sequel to this? Let me know in the comments, and thank you for sticking around!


End file.
